Running pay attention on these aspects

If someone were to stop you on the street and ask ‘What is the proper way of running?’, What would your response be?
This is a quite simple question and most probably something that has never crossed your mind. After all, it’s just running, right? What’s tough about it? Just continually put one foot in front of the other and then BAM! You are running. So when running pay attention on the following steps.

However, you should realize that running entails more than quickly repeating the process of placing one foot in front of the other.
There are some parts of your running that you should be paying more attention to than you could ever imagine.
Do you even know you could be putting in all your running efforts for nothing?

Yeah, nada, no benefits. And to further complicate issues, you could do some severe damage to your body if you run improperly.
So, there is more to running than just running.

Well, since you are reading this article, you are sure to be better informed on what to pay focus on when running.
So, today, we are going to look out what to pay attention to while running.
Let’s get started.

Running pay attention on these steps to run properly

Keep your hips stable

You should ensure your hips is forward facing and steady, as this position will help you prevent hip and back pain. Also, ensure you aren’t rocking your hips from side to side or sticking your bottom out. When you let your torso lean too far backward or forward, your body and pelvis also get pushed out of alignment.

The pelvis should drop around 5 to 7 degrees on each side in the regular healthy running. You could be at risk of pesky injuries when there is an increased drop in your hips. When your head, shoulder, and torso are well aligned, your hips will be positioned straight ahead in the correct position.So when running pay attention on your hips.

Arm swing

Keep a streamlined and speedier position by keeping your arm swing at a ‘hand to pocket’ position. Your arm swing helps can help your running form to be stable because it acts as a counterbalance to your strides. Try to keep your elbow at 90-degree, and try to maintain an arm swing that goes past your hips just like you are trying to take something from your back pocket.

Your arm should swing back and forth from your shoulder like a pendulum. Avoid swinging your arms from your elbow, instead, drive your elbow backward, and then let it swing back to you. Swinging your arms sideways is a waste of energy because your arm movement propels you forward. You are more likely to slouch if you swing your arm from side to side. And your arms crossing over your chest will lead to shallow breathing that could cause cramps in your abdominal area.

Your foot placement

Another point You should land on your midfoot area and directly on your pelvis. Ensure that your feet strike close to your center of mass (COM). If your feet are striking too far away from your body, then you are over striding.
Your calves becomes tight when you land on your toes and this will make you get tired quickly and could also lead you to develop pain in your chin. You waste energy when you land on your heels because it means you have over-strided and you are breaking, and this may lead to injury. You see that when running pay attention on your foot placement is essential.

Try to make your foot impact soft, springy and quiet rather than hard and noisy. Light steps are more efficient than heavy footsteps, so ensure your feet don’t slap loudly as the hit the ground.

Your cadence

Your cadence reflects the quickness of your steps, try to maintain a cadence of about 180 steps per minute or above. When your cadence is lower than that, it means you are placing too much force on your body on impact with the road, and this could lead to knee pain.

You get to limit your over-striding when you increase your cadence. You can easily calculate your cadence during your run by multiplying the number of steps you take in a 30 seconds interval and multiplying it by 2.

Posture

When you run a long distance, you experience fatigue and find it difficult to maintain proper form, and this will lead to a dive in your posture. Once this occurs, your breathing becomes more difficult and your arm movement is constricted to promote cross-over arm running.

Ensure your posture is kept erect and straight by holding your head up, keeping a straight back and your shoulders level. Even when you get tired, make sure you aren’t leaning back or forward at your waist. If you notice yourself slouching, poke your chest out, as slouching can cause pain in your shoulder, neck and lower-back.

Your knee and leg

Create an energy efficient stride in your endurance running by keeping the knees relatively low and slightly bent to absorb the impact when you hit the road. Also, ensure your lower leg is not extending in front of your body to avoid making a long stride, instead aim for your feet to land beneath your body.

Your head and shoulder

Good head and shoulder alignment is key to good running form. Bring your neck and back into alignment by focusing on the horizon without looking up or down. Ensure your neck and jaw is relaxed, your chin in-line, shoulders square, level, relaxed and low. If you feel any tension in your shoulder or neck, shake them it. There should be absolutely no slouching nor swaying.

When running pay attention on our aspects

If you have been thinking of how to run better, follow our tips on what to pay attention to when running to maximize the benefits of your exercise.